Elders back URP candidate to resolve row

By Mercy Kahenda

Kikuyu and Kalenjin elders have endorsed URP parliamentary candidate for Nakuru Town West to resolve a row among Jubilee supporters.

The elders met yesterday and said they will support Mr Mohammed Surraw after a dispute emerged between TNA and URP supporters.

TNA had presented parliamentary candidates in Nakuru Town West and Nakuru Town East constituencies against an earlier agreement between the two parties inside the Jubilee Alliance.

According to the agreement, TNA was to present a parliamentary candidate in Nakuru Town East and URP in Nakuru Town West.

Elders organised a meeting to resolve the dispute dividing votes for Jubilee presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta in Nakuru County.

Led by Kikuyu elders chairman Ndung’u Gaithuma, they said they support Surraw as per the earlier agreement attended by Uhuru and his running mate William Ruto in Naivasha and Rongai.

“We want to vote as a bloc and have solved the dispute since we are member parties under the Jubilee Alliance,” said Gaithuma.

TNA candidate Charles Maisiba however dismissed the endorsement, insisting he was still in the race.

“I was cleared by TNA and IEBC. Endorsement of my rival is wrong,” he said.

Maisiba said the meeting will not derail his determination to capture the seat. “It is my democratic right to vie,” he said.

Reserved zone

Gaithuma, however, said the URP candidate was better placed to unite and consolidate the votes from all residents since he was neither a Kikuyu nor Kalenjin.

“To avoid brushing shoulders between Kikuyu and Kalenjin community as we head to the elections, we have decided to support Surraw who is not from the two communities,” he added.

During a press conference held last week, URP members from Nakuru Town West said that URP had respected the agreement and had not presented a candidate to vie for the Nakuru Town East parliamentary seat since it was reserved TNA zone.